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North Korea Launches Another Ballistic Missile, Yonhap Says

By Kanga Kong and David Tweed

Tuesday, November 28, 2017
2:00:24 EST PM

in this Aug. 29, 2017 file photo distributed on Aug. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will mark the 10-nation bloc's 50th anniversary for two days of summitry under security in Manila starting Monday to tackle a slew of security worries including recent militant siege in the Philippines, displaced Rohingya and the escalating North Korea threat. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile in its first provocation since U.S. President Donald Trump labeled the country a state sponsor of terrorism earlier this month, Yonhap reported, citing South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The agency didn’t immediately provide more details on the launch. Japan’s coast guard said the missile fell into the sea near Japan.

North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3, and has launched more than a dozen missiles this year as Kim Jong Un’s regime seeks the capability to hit the continental U.S. with a nuclear weapon. The United Nations has imposed stringent sanctions on North Korea for its weapons tests.

Trump on Nov. 20 labeled North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism because of its threats of nuclear devastation and support of terrorist acts including assassinations on foreign soil. North Korea responded by saying the designation reminds the country it should keep hold of its "precious nuclear sword."

On Nov. 14, the U.S. wrapped up strike force drills in the Western Pacific using three aircraft carriers — the first such exercise in a decade. North Korea routinely complains about U.S. drills in the region, using them as justification to ratchet up its own weapons program.

The launch ends a lull in test activity by the Kim regime. North Korea’s last provocation was on Sept. 15 when it fired a second missile over Japan in as many months.